Walking on Eggshells and Outdated Playgirl
by Nightgina
Summary: Highschool has always sucked, and hot best friends just make it worse. [AU] [SoraxRiku, etc.] [Lemons later]
1. Sleeping In

Hello one and all. This is my first real story here on this lovely website. I'd love to say that I have this whole story planned out, from beginning, middle, and end, but sadly I only have a slight idea of what's happening. So, tips and reviews would be awesome. Oh, and I love you all :D

………………………..

I've been sleeping with my head under the covers recently. Which is strange, because I've never been able to do that, even when that crazy ass Artic wind hit the islands a few years back. Every morning I'd wake with half of my body sticking out of the covers, sometimes uncovered completely, other times not even on the bed.

But that hasn't been the case these mornings. When I wake up, I'm surrounded by pale white. Sometimes I find my head locked underneath the pillows, my arms pounding the cushions harder still down on me. Everything is stuffy and hot, and I awake every morning not knowing where I am, lost in a sea of white sheets. Yellow sunlight soaks the blankets so they turn into a soft pastel, as if signifying some sort of harmony amongst my surroundings.

And I'll stay there for hours, or maybe just seconds that are matted and contorted into each other, distorting my hazy reality into my own make-believe paradise. Mom'll be coming into my room any minute, shaking me and laughing about what a lazy young man I've become. She'll take me downstairs where she's made me breakfast, or maybe Dad made it for her. Then Dad'll take Mom into his arms and kiss her as if they were teenagers, and I'll yell out in playful disgust.

It's strange how you can see it so clearly; something that has never happened to you, but the vision is so vivid and clear that you almost believe it. And maybe, if I pray hard enough or strike a deal with God, I can find a way to stay in that dream forever.

I throw off the sticky blankets, tossing away those fucked up dreams and all the things that would be considered happy. My feet smash down the sheets, and with little strength I pulled myself up, getting ready for the bleak and oh-so-happy day that was sure to greet me with smiley faces and little pink-colored hearts.

The sheets wrapped around my feet and I fell face first to the ground, my head smashing on my booked-filled backpack. Because life loves to be a bitch in the morning.

Despite my lovely greeting with my bedroom floor, the shower and dressing sped past in a sleepy run. I woke up somewhere in front of the freezing refrigerator, which, of course, was still filled with nothing but beer.

Slamming the door shut, I stormed back up to my room to grab my bag. Even though I was half awake at the time, I still seemed to be able to dressed. Baggy black pants combined with an oversized white sweatshirt with black graffiti scribbled across my chest. Good, good, but my unconsciousness forgot my piercings and style my hair, which I could never leave the house without doing.

The blue gel squished loudly between my hands, applying it to my hair to make my brown spikes point out in random directions. Silver studs crawled up my left ear while three small silver rings cupped my right. One spike on my bottom lip, two more on my eyebrows. I smiled wickedly, considering putting on some pink lip-gloss that Kairi forced me to buy. Yep, Daddy-dearest would have just a _blast_ seeing me in that.

Shoving my backpack onto my shoulders, I ran down the stairs, hooking my finger through the car keys that sprawled on the kitchen counter. So far so good without seeing anyone. Just two more steps, a simple turn on the doorknob, a small pull and I'll be –

"Good morning."

My hand gripped the doorknob tightly. "Hey, Dad."

"Don't look away from me, Sora. What costume are you wearing today?"

I grumbled under my breath, turning my face slightly to the man standing on the stairs.

Dad grunted, lifting his coffee cup to his lips that slowly curved into a slight frown. "Good Lord, son, did you really _want _to look like that when you let some tattooed criminal stab a needle through your face?"

The door crashed into the wall.

"Calm down. I want to talk to you."

"_I _need to get to school."

"Talking to me for a minute won't make you late, son."

"Oh, I'd just _love_ to, Dad, but I've got to pick up Riku, and it'd just be oh-so rude if I kept him waiting." I heard him chuckle at the sound of my best friend's name, combined with a mumbled word that sounded like 'fag'.

Dad stepped down from the stairs and made his way to the kitchen. "Just wanted to let you know that I'm having a party tomorrow night. My coworkers are bringing their families, probably some girls too." He laughed as he clicked open a beer.

I made sure the smash the door hard enough to make his priceless paintings fall off the walls.

……….

"What took you so long?" Riku smirked, crashing down in the passenger seat. He flipped down the mirror, checking and reapplied more of his watermelon lip-gloss onto his sweet lips.

"Slept in, skipped breakfast, and a lovely talk with Daddy-dearest," I replied.

Riku snorted, fixing his bangs before closing the mirror. Of course he really doesn't need to change anything on his face, but being the perfectionist that he is there always something that he needs to fix. And like always, his outfit was flawless. A semi tight white t-shirt and a pair of black girl pants (probably his older sister's). Of course the cold weather had no effect on him.

"Y'know, if you keep staring at me then we'll be late." Riku smirked, applying some mascara on his long eyelashes.

I smirked back, starting up the car again. "Since when do you care if we're late or not?"

"You're absolutely right, Sora," Riku suddenly turned to me, grabbing my arm gently and leaning closer to me. "Let's skip school today and makeout in the backseat."

I laughed, leaning my head closer to his once we hit a red light. "Oh Riku, not _again_. You know how I can't stand your teasing this early in the morning."

And then we laughed, pulling away from each other. Riku reached over to turn up the music, still laughing at our inside joke.

Of course, that's all it would ever be. Just our little inside joke. One day he would find himself a handsome boyfriend, and I would…do something or whatever, but it would never end with us together.

Because in our inside joke, _he _was always joking, while _I _was always serious.

…………………….

Okay, there's the story. Please review my loves :D


	2. Love at First Sight and Concooshoos

Okay, here's my next chapter. I attempted to be…funny, but I feel that I failed sadly. :D Oh well…

Anyways, I had my friend spell and grammar check this, but if she missed anything then it's my fault. Yeah, I mess up every once in a while with English. (which is the only language I speak, by the way)

So on with the story!

………………

"Dammit, you did this to me on purpose, didn't you?" Riku spat, throwing back his hair in his irritation. His silver locks were caught in the light morning air, swaying in the currents as if it were water (_Garnier Fructis – 24/7 Sleek hair. Because Frizz doesn't Suit Everybody_).

I smile at him, ignoring the French logo repeating in my head while slamming the car door shut. "Oh get over it, you big baby. School's only a block away, and this way we don't have to wait through the shitty traffic after school."

He pouted at me, his lips glistening in the early sun (_Clean, clear, and under control – Covergirl!_). "But Sora-baby, any unneeded exercise will ruin my makeup," he whined, wrapping his arms around my neck.

"Which is why normal boys don't wear makeup," I sighed, pushing him lightly (unwillingly) away.

The railroad tracks and the river both ran by the edges of the school grounds, first a somewhat raised ground for the tracks and then a very high bridge that crossed over Midget River (the river doesn't really have a name, we just started calling it that when we were little. Now that I look back on it, it really isn't a nice name, but it did a good job describing the 'rivers' size). In-between the two lines stand a couple of shops and a run-down restaurant, and next to that the city built a couple of picnic tables underneath an overgrown weeping willow tree. It wasn't a brilliant idea from the beginning; the restaurant never gave a family-friendly feel, not to mention the willow's branches covered up a good deal of the picnic area.

But of course, it was the ideal place for Axel and all of his rebellious adolescent ways.

The pyro leaned against a thin bar of the black railing surrounding the river, blowing a long, thick cloud of smoke towards Midget River, looking almost like an idle dragon resting after a large meal. A thick silver chain connected his left ear piercing to his lip, and his outfit mostly consisted of chains and black clothing (what a freaking emo).

Alex glanced our way, smirking slightly while taking in a deep breath from his dying cigarette.

"Ya better run along, kiddies. Gonna be late for school if you don't get those high heels moving!" He pushed off the railing and, while letting out one last dragon breath towards the blue sky, tossing the cigarette butt towards the restaurant.

"So you're skipping school today, huh Axel?" Riku said, stepping closer to me to (mock me) allow room for juvenile delinquent on the narrow bridge. "What a shame, I was looking forward to seeing you in the locker room."

"Sorry, my gay little friend, but I've got things to see and people to do," Axel shrugged. "Maybe Sora could sneak in during P.E. and give you a flash or two for me?"

I ignored the last comment. "Seriously Axel, don't skip today. There's going to be a movie in Bio today, all about cells and shit, and I need someone to talk to."

Axel burst out laughing, slapping his hand on my shoulder. "Aww Sora-baby, it's so cute when you beg. But…sure, whatever, I'll go today. The principal's gonna call up my parents if I ditch again anyways, which would be a fucking pain in the ass."

Axel froze for a second, then turned back at me, adding, "Wait, since when were we studying cells in Bio?"

I sighed. "We've been studying them for a two weeks already, Axel."

"I feel bad for those people that you were talking about," Riku smirked at Axel. "What are they going to do without their little fuck-buddy?"

"They have two hands and an imagination. They'll survive," the pyro shrugged, his chains making a small _clink _sound.

By now we had crossed into the school grounds we could see a huge crowd of teenagers surrounded the front doors. They all muttered to themselves excitedly, too excited for a morning before school. Some teachers stood on the steps in front of the doors, half of them whispering quietly to each other and the other half guarding the entrance. A couple dozen police cars stood on the curb, their red and blue lights swirling together in slow motion yet the sirens turned off.

"Thank God!" I cheered, throwing my arms up in relief. "Teach' would have freaked on us if we were late again!"

"We are late. School started ten minutes ago," Riku mumbled, staring down at his cell phone.

"Wait…what?"

"Where the hell were you two?!" came a girl's voice somewhere beneath the crowd.

Kairi pushed through the mob, slightly tripping over an upperclassman's feet. Her red hair was pulled into a tight ponytail, and as she ran over to us her hair bounced in a way only a girl's hair could (and sometimes Riku's hair in the right light). She made a sudden stop in front of us, putting her arms on her hips and glaring up at us (that glare used to give me nightmares when I was younger, but, strangely, it lost most of its power when I grew a foot taller than her).

Riku sighed, then began, "You see, Kairi-dearest, when Sora came to pick me up he smiled at me with that charming little grin of his, the kind of smile that only the purest of the angels in heaven could give. And when my eyes beheld such a beautiful sight, I was taken aback in awe, and couldn't help but reach out –"

Kairi laughed, losing her anger quickly. "More like you two slept in and forgot that school is every Monday through Friday."

"And apparently it starts every day at 8:16, but that doesn't seem to be the case today," I acknowledged, looking over the girl's head to the crowd in front of the school.

The redhead sighed, throwing back some of her bangs from her face. "Yeah, apparently the school found Xigbar's journal and saw his plot about bombing the school. Doubt he even has enough common sense to figure how to get one, let alone put it into a locker, but they locked down the school anyways. You missed it too; Xigbar ran for it and got into this huge fight with the police."

"Poor, poor Xigbar," I put a hand over my heart, bowing my head in grief.

"I blame videogames," Riku added. ((A/N – if you catch the irony you when ten cool points:D))

"Anyways, I've got to go. Demyx got caught up in that fight and got beat up pretty badly," Kairi waved, then turned back to the mob, disappearing behind a group of lip-glossed girls and their boy-toys.

I turned to Riku, throwing my hands behind my head. "Man, we lucked out. I knew Xigbar would crack some day."

Riku slid his hands through his (beautiful) hair. "Hell yeah. But what the hell was Demyx doing in that fight?"

I shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe he's been in love with Xigbar this whole time and couldn't bear to see him go?"

"Is Demyx even gay? What a heart-breaking story."

"Who was that girl?" Axel asked quietly.

We both turned to Axel, who had been left forgotten in his unusual quietness. He started off absent-mindedly to where Kairi had disappeared in the crowd. The pyro looked confused and awed, as if he had just seen some sort of miracle from Jesus Christ Himself.

"That was Kairi," Riku said slowly, one eyebrow raised questionably.

"Is she new?" Axel didn't turn to us, nor did he seem to really understand exactly what he was saying.

"Umm…no," I answered, glancing at him and Riku. "She's lived here before you moved here."

"Huh."

"You've seen her before. She was a cheerleader in middle school, won the talent show last year, and is vice-president of our class."

"Huh."

"She sits behind you in English," Riku said, amazed.

"Huh." Axel hadn't looked away.

We were silent, all of us trapped in an extreme state of awe (but for Axel it was a different kind of awe, one that involved lipstick, strawberry flavored shampoo, panties, and everything that makes a girl…well, a girl). Then me and Riku smirked.

"Dude, you've got it bad."

……….

DiZ, the principle of Destiny Islands High School, stood on the top steps of the entrance to the school, holding a loudspeaker in one hand and a lit cigarette in the other. He wore a black business suit, one too proper and expensive for his occupation, let alone for him to be able to afford. A red cloth covered almost all of his face, except for one lone, golden eye and a slightly cocky grin.

Bringing down the cigarette, DiZ raised the loudspeaker to his now smoke breathing mouth. "Attention students and faculty. The police have not found any source of a bomb in the school," (Insert cheers) "however, to further insure your safety and well-being, they will spend another two hours searching in every corner, in every locker, in every desk, and in every bathroom stall. Twice each." (Insert mumbling) "So hopefully none of you have anything to hide. I, of course, do not say this with any student in mine. Axel." ("I LOVE YOU, YOU DELICIOUS PIECE OF MAN! TAKE ME MY LOVE!") "To ensure that we give the police enough time and effort to keep our school safe, we will spend 1st and 2nd period here," (Insert cheering) "with the teachers and school staff keep a careful, watchful eye on every move you do and every word you say. That is all." (Insert groans)

After DiZ's speech, the student body began to whisper among themselves. Some of their conversations were as followed:

"We all know there isn't a bomb –Xigbar can't even figure out what country we live in, let alone what chemicals to use in explosives."

"Dude, we get to miss Math! I _totally_ didn't study for that fucking test, man!"

"Is a school principle allowed to smoke on school grounds?"

"Poor Xigbar, he had such a hot ass…"

"Oh my god…I think DiZ is looking this way…"

"Did someone just say Xigbar had a hot ass?"

"Why does DiZ have a piece of cloth wrapped around his head?"

"You didn't know? DiZ is really a chick."

And so on and so forth.

Me, Riku, and Axel found Kairi and Demyx somewhere near the front of the maddening crowd of teenage hormones. Demyx sat against the stone sign that read "School of Excellence – Destiny Islands High School" in black, bold letters (and in tiny, red letters someone scribbled "I lost my virginity next to this sign!"). A thin line of blood trailed down his nose, one eye bulged slightly, and his arms were spotted with small and large bruises (they were probably else where too, but hidden under his clothes). Mullet-man looked up at the sky, his eyes dazed and his face in a state of utter bliss. Kairi busied herself with sticking band-aids on every visible cut and scrap.

I sat on the balls of my feet, gently placing my hand on his arm where there weren't any bruises. "Hiya Demyx, how're you feeling?"

Demyx smiled slightly, clearly interested in a tiny white cloud shaped like a cookie, "I'm feeling good, Sora-beara. How are you feeling today?"

Kairi sighed, dabbing a cut on the adolescence's cheek with a wet paper towel. "I think he has a slight concussion."

"What's a concooshoo?"

"And he had such a pretty face too," Riku pouted, leaning his head against Axel's shoulder (who's eyes were locked on the back of Kairi's neck).

"Hey babe."

Hayner revealed himself behind a group of pink dressed girls (who giggled as he passed). His hand dug deep into his camo pants, the black tank top showing off his skinny yet muscular arms. Flashing a glimmering white smile, he flicked a strand of his dirty blonde bangs out of his brown eyes.

Kairi smiled, jumping up to her feet and grabbing the teenage heartthrob's hands, kissing him quickly on the lips. "Hi Hayner. Where were you all this time?"

I heard a faint _crack_ behind me.

Axel's mouth hung open slightly, unable to tear his gaze from the couple. Riku patted his back soothingly, adding, "You see? This is why you need to pay more attention, my man. The good girl's will just be whipped out from under yah."

………………

**ATTENTION**– I do not think that bombings at school are funny. That is not why I put that in my story. If you have been affected by violence of that kind at school, I am deeply sorry, and I did not write this to insult you.

Okay, I finally ended that chapter! (It was a little long….o.o). Many of this stuff I wrote off the top of my head as the story went along. Poor Axel…and Demyx will recover from his concooshoo, I swear.

Review please!! I need them to feel good about myself. –cries in corner–


	3. The Things that Cut

Chapter #3, here it is:D This one's not as funny, but that's okay, it's just adding more to the story line. Oh, and thank you Dreamer1812 and Love-of-all-Anime for reviewing – you kept me alive! D:

Onwards with the story!

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My footsteps echo down the empty, silent halls. They're not too quiet though – faint voices whisper from the classrooms behind the doors that I pass. There's a slight chill from the vacant walkway, knowing that there are people on the other sides of the walls, not visible and barely audible, but still existing. I pull my sweatshirt closer to my neck, but it doesn't help.

At the end of the hall is the bathroom. Just a couple more steps, a few more seconds, and I'll be there, not here, not in an empty hallway that's suppose to be full.

I push the door open; it swings behind me idly, slowing after each stride. There's a kid at the farthest sink from me. He looks like a freshman, especially when he looks up at me and turns away quickly, as if I'd hit him if he stared too long. The kid finishes washing his hands swiftly, retreating as fast as his small legs can take him.

And now the bathroom is as empty as the hallway. Except now the kid occupies the hallway, so it won't be as vacant as before. Half of me considers going back outside, just to sit against the wall as the freshman walks away, just to be in a room with someone who doesn't expect anything of me, just another face amongst the school.

I wait until I can't hear his muffled footsteps, and then turn to the farthest sink from the door, the one that the kid had used.

The water that pours out the sink is cold and stale, cheap. I cup my hands together, catching some of the water to make a pool between my palms. I splash the water on my face, letting the droplets fall down my cheeks and onto my neck. The paper dispenser is slightly jammed – I yanked at the handle for a couple seconds until I get a long enough sheet. As I rubbed my soaked face with the scratchy paper, I looked down at the sink.

There's a puddle of red water on the edge of the sink, turning slightly pink as it mixes (What was that called? Osmosis?). I look up at the door to the bathroom, but the freshman's footsteps disappeared minutes ago.

………………

Axel had never realized that Kairi was in his P.E. class, but he definitely knew it now. She was standing in a small circle of girls, her hair swinging back and forth as she laughed, her smile so bright and sweet. The other girls around her weren't nearly as pretty as Kairi was to Axel, despite their feeble attempts to attract the opposite sex; perfect makeup, iron burned straight hair, rolled up shorts and one size too small P.E. shirts, pink nails, and stylish, expensive shoes (all of which completely useless in this class, but didn't seem to bother them).

"Dude, what the fuck is wrong with you?"

Larxene pulled at her blonde hair, glaring at the world and the people who inhabited in it. From her curled up position against the wall of the gym her red panties shined from her black skirt, which was only there, as Axel had known since middle school, to lure young men to stare at them so she could have a descent excuse to punch their lights out (not that she _needed_ an excuse for that). The black jacket plastered with bobby pins and rips gave the image of rebellion, but were only there to cover up the scars around her wrists and arms.

"Nothing," Axel mumbled, forcing himself to look away from the girl across the gym.

"Tch, nothing my fucking ass," Larxene hissed, pulling harder at her hair. "Shit, I want some weed, I haven't had any in, like, fucking forever."

"Me neither," he mumbled again, with no enthusiasm. The truth was, he didn't really want to have any. Axel had too much to think about, too much to bug him to lose himself in any drugs. Larxene would have a great time knowing that.

"I had this huge stash of it too, but I heard my mom telling my dad that she wanted to check my room for drugs, so I had to give it to Mari. Fucking parents." Larxene ripped even harder at her hair. "She got so hell of pissed when she found out about the piercing, but fuck her, I'm keeping it. Can't wait to see her face when I get my hair dyed." She smirked then, lessening a little at her pulling.

"Mmm." Axel stole another glance at Kairi, immediately changing his vision to the ceiling.

"You two!" Cid boomed, stomping over to the two against the wall. "Why aren't you in your P.E. uniform!?"

"Cause we don't fucking feel like it," Larxene snarled, dropping her hair so it could cover one eye.

Cid grumbled, clutching his clipboard tightly. "If you keep up that attitude, young lady, then you and your friend will fail this class!"

"Well fucking boo-hoo," the blond stood up, sliding her hands into her pockets. "This place is boring, lets get out of here, Axel."

Axel started to follow after her, but Cid stopped him. "Axel, stay here a minute."

Glancing over at Larxene (who didn't stop to wait for him) and avoiding doing the same for Kairi, Axel kept his face down but his eyes on his P.E. teacher. "What do you want?"

Cid looked away from the teen, his eyes flickering from the floor, to the ceiling, back to the floor, to the door that Larxene was walking towards, and finally at Axel (but didn't meet his eyes). "Look, Axel, I know you…well, I mean, you have so much potential…you were a star sport player in your Freshmen year and…what I want to say is that, you shouldn't let the past ruin your future, right kid?"

Axel's face hardened instantly. "Thanks for that, fucking Confucius," he snarled, twisting around to follow after Larxene. He had a sudden urge to smoke the first thing in sight.

On the other side of the gym, Kairi looked up from her group of friends, her smile fading a little when she saw the pyro trudging towards the doors. She watched him leave through the doors, his back fading behind the classrooms outside. Before any of her friends could question her, Kairi turned back to the girls, her smile not as bright anymore.

………………

Riku looks up as I fall into my seat next to him. He smiles slightly. "Hey there, princess. Have fun on your little trip?"

I stick my tongue out at him and he laughs. "So, what did I miss?"

He shrugs. "We have to write about why the electrons of an atom circle around the protons and neutrons."

"How the hell are we supposed to know that?" I sigh, leaning back in my chair, throwing my hands behind my head.

"_Tsk_. You know Merlin. Just write down 'because they're magical forces wish it so' and he'll give us extra credit."

We spent half of the period writing our paragraph on the magical properties of an electron ('Since an electron is negative, they are black magic, and the protons are positive, so they're white magic. The neutrons are the caster, who holds the white magic in place, but black magic is too powerful to fully control, so instead is circles the caster.'), and then use the other half messing around.

"Amazing! Fantastic!" Merlin had cried when we turned them in, his eyes swirling across our papers, soaking in each word. He gently placed them on top of his of paragraphs, as if they were pieces of treasure. "Oh, you boys! Biology just comes naturally to you, doesn't it?!"

Riku and I fall down into our chairs, laughing. "Man, this is going to be the first class I pass, I swear!" he smiles at me, his stray bangs falling over his closed eyes. My breath catches. Missing my moment of awe, Riku pulls out a pocket mirror, checking his face. "So, what're you doing this Friday? Wanna have a movie night?"

Coughing away the blush, I sigh, "Fuck yes. Dad wants me to go to some suck-ass business party with me that night, to see if I can get into some of his co-workers' daughters' panties. _Anything _to get out of that crap."

Riku gives me a weak smile. "You make it sound like you're not really bi, man." He pulls out his tube of pink lip-gloss. "Maybe instead of a movie night we can just give each other makeovers,"

I slap his hand away from me, laughing. _Damn man, I ain't gay. I'm just madly in love with you._

………….

The kid stopped running once he was under a tree. Gasping for breath, he glanced over at the large field. Teenagers in identical uniforms ran around the grass, throwing footballs to each other. _Thank God_, the kid gasped, clutching the old bark. _None of them have noticed me yet._

He fell to his knees, gripping his wrist. Tiny little cuts, shaped like half-moons and lined with red blood, scattered across his pale skin. His breath became rigid, even though his heartbeat had slowed down by now.

"_Hey there, sexy," came It's voice. It pushed the kid into white stall wall, digging It's nails into the kid's skin. It covered his neck with soft kisses, using It's other hand to crawl up the kid's chest._

"_St-stop it!" the kid mumbled weakly, trying to rip off It's hands. Instead, It took It's hand from his chest to his wrist, forcing down his hands._

"_Aww…c'mon, babe, you like it. Remember?" It bit down roughly on his neck. The kid screamed; It laughed._

_It kicked open the stall door, walking out causally. "I'll see ya later, babe. It's so _wonderful _that you go to my school now." _

The kid grabbed his knees, pulling them to his chest. "Dammit, that guy saw me in the bathroom." He mumbled. That damn, brunet kid with the piercings. "It's okay, it's okay," he murmured to himself. "He didn't see anything, he didn't catch me with It…nothing's going to happen."

The kid smiled weakly. _The last time I said 'nothing's going to happen,' everything became fucked up._

……………………………….

Well, that's the end of this chapter. I definitely know who 'the kid' and 'It' is, seriously. shifty eyes. Anyways, please review people!! I know that some of you have my story on your alert list, which is fine, but please review for me too – I'll want to update more quickly if you review!


	4. Cloud Gazing

Hello's and yo's. Yay I updated! Sorry, I've had homework, projects, birthdays, videogames, and writer's block that have been getting in the way, but hopefully I'll get farther along. Or I'll just get bored.

I doubt any of you noticed (because I barely did), but I had said in chapter two that Axel would be in Sora's biology class, but he wasn't when I actually wrote about it. So I fixed it. Kind of. o.O

……………………………….

"I can't help noticing that something's missing…" I mumble, pushing my backpack strap farther up my shoulder.

"I can't help noticing that this mascara matches my dress," Kairi says from behind her mirror. ((A.N. – if you figure out where this line comes from you win 10 cool points!! So worth it!!))

Riku lightly pats my shoulder. "Don't worry, Sora. We'll find your straightness somewhere." I push him into the lockers, which only makes him laugh.

Kairi pushes open the double doors into the cafeteria, leading the way towards the lunch line. As Riku and Kairi argued over which of the school's foods was most likely to contain parasites (Riku's bet is on the school's 'Chinese' food that resembles worms more than noodles; Kairi's is on the heat up burritos that shame Mexican food), I reach into my pocket for my wallet.

"Oh shit," I murmur.

"Shit is right, man," Riku says, poking the side of the white tray of Chou Mien.

"I left my wallet at home."

"Don't worry about it, Sora," Kairi smiles at me. "I've got some extra money, I'll buy you lunch."

"Seriously?! I love you!" I say, hugging her tightly.

"Yeah, yeah, on one condition," She smiles sweetly, her eyes sparkling with evil. "I get to help Riku with you makeover Friday."

I glare at Riku. "I thought we were having a movie night."

He smiles at me. "We are. Me and Kairi will paint your nails and find a foundation that matches your skin tone while we watch 'The Devil Wears Prada.' Then we can stay up late talking about boys."

"Fuck off, man," I roll my eyes, turning to leave. "I want pizza, Kai."

In the very back of the cafeteria is our table, where our random friends and their random friends come and go as they please. For now only Namine and Demyx are at the table. Demyx stares out the window, crewing on the end of a plastic straw. I can only see the top of Namine's head, with her nose burying into a coloring book and her blonde hair sprayed across the countertop.

Glancing up at me for just a second, Namine reaches into her side bag next to her and pulls out a Disney Princess coloring book. "Here," she murmurs, pushing it across the table.

"…Why do I have to princess one?" I ask her as I drop my backpack to the table.

She glances at Demyx, then whispers, "Because Dem already has the Pokemon one."

I sigh, grabbing a blue crayon and coloring Ariel's hair. Despite all the years that I've known her, Namine still looks and acts like an adorable little girl, unlike her brother. Unlike her grown up, mature, gay as a rainbow brother.

"Have you told him yet?"

"Hmm…?" I glance up at her. She's busy drawing bunnies on the border of a picture of Simba.

"Have you told big brother that you love him?"

I drop the crayon. "How…how did you know that?"

"Because it's obvious," she responds dully.

Of course, there are times when Namine acts older than Gandhi.

A couple of seconds pass in silence. She's waiting for my answer.

"Well…" I start, blowing out a long breath. "I just…you know…?"

"You just have the lower regions of a girl?"

"What?! Damn you…Okay…I get it…I should tell him soon, right?"

Namine picks up a pink crayon, aiming it down on the laughing sun. "Well, only if you want him to know."

I glare at Ariel, who's gently floating in her secret cave, a hand caressing Prince Eric's statue's cheek. She's smiling, but it's a weak one, as if she knows that she can whisper to the sculpted stone all the sweet nothings that she wants or wrap her arms around its cold, hard neck all that she likes, but never will she be able to touch the warm, sun-kissed skin of her prince.

"Then nothing will change. You will long for him, and that is all it will be."

"Do you have to be so harsh!?" I can't help but scream at her. Namine flinches, her head dipping a little closer to the book. I bite my lip, staring back down at the mermaid. "I'm sor–"

"She has a point." Demyx whispers as he drops his straw. His coloring book lies beneath him, closed and ignored. "You have two options. You can tell Riku how you feel. Maybe he'll return the feelings, maybe he won't. That's life, learn to love it or get over it." His eyes flicker to the window again. "Or, you could just keep your mouth shut and watch him live his life as yours stays at a standstill." He glances at me, his black eye a sad, purple sunset. "But, that's just my opinion."

"Some hella of an opinion," I mutter, flipping the page to a picture of Cinderella cleaning the floors.

……………………………

Meanwhile.

"So, have you told him yet?" Kairi asks, picking up a chocolate milk bottle and placing it on her tray.

Riku flinches, but gives a quick laugh. "Told who what?"

"Have you told Sora that you love him?"

His eyes grow wide. "How the fuck did you know that, Kai?"

Kairi laughs. "Because it's _obvious_."

……………………………

When Axel was younger, back when his mother would walk him and Reno to the park near their apartment after school, after his older brother chased him around the park and they would fall breathless to the wet grass, he would always count the clouds, determining theie shapes to different animals or items. His mother thought it was adorable, discussing how the cloud above was a white bunny, which Axel argued was Superman. Reno just tackled him to the ground and called him a girl.

By lunchtime, the sky became speckled with small, puffy clouds, perfect for gazing at. Unfortunately, his friends were more of a Reno than his mother.

"Shiiittt…I want a cigarette so bad…" Larxene yanks at her hair, her legs bobbing up and down. Seifer has his arm dangling over her shoulder, his eyes peeking down her tank top.

She glances over at the redhead. "Axel, hand them over."

"Hand over what?" he mutters, leaning against the wall of the back of the gym.

"Your cigs, man. Give me your cigs," She snarls.

Seifer laughs. "You can't be serious, babe. Wait til after school."

"I don't want to fucking wait!" Larxene glares at the blond, retreating a little from his embrace.

"So like you," the druggie murmurs. "Like last night…"

Axel fazes out of the conversation then, the light whispers and giggles beside him becoming a minor annoyance. Above, a slightly plump cloud grew a thick arm towards the sun. A samurai on horseback. Or maybe a soldier standing by his cannon. Other clouds surround the warrior, but this cloud stands proudly, as if daring the bigger ones to even try to cover him.

_Of course, Mom would probably say it's a heart or a bunny's head, or something girly like that_, Axel decides. A small chuckle escapes him.

"What's so funny?" Larxene sneers, her grin trimmed with wickedness.

"Nothing," Axel replies.

Seifer nudges the pyro harshly, letting a loud cackle loose. "Probably just thinkin' dirty thoughts, babe."

"Probably about that one cheerleader bitch," the blond jeers.

Axel's eyes snap up to the girl. "What the fuck are you talking about?"

"Oh don't give me that shit, Axel," Larxene starts to pull at her hair again. "I saw you staring at that skinny girl's ass. You _obviously_ were just dying to get your filthy hands down her panties."

Reaching for his backpack, Axel pushes himself up, making his way to the front of the building. Behind him he can hear more jokes and taunts, but he fazes these out too, turning them into soft scraps of a nail against metal.

He couldn't stand to go to Sora and Riku, pretending to be normal and just like them. Kairi would probably be there anyways. And it'd be too early to go to class now. Near the edge of the cafeteria, a lone table stands, more than likely dragged there by some kids that morning. Climbing on top of it, Axel leans back onto the brown crisscrossed surface, clouds gazing. The samurai/soldier still makes its way across the sky, the other clouds behind him.

"What are you doing here?"

Of course, _of course_, Kairi stands at the foot of the table, smiling brightly down at him. Axel coughs a little, holding back a girly squeak, then returns the smile. "Nothing. Just cloud gazing."

She laughs at this, looking just a little less than Aphrodite Axel thinks (but only so he would not have to deal with the goddess's wrath). "How manly of you."

"Only men without balls don't stare at the sky," he returns, hoping that his vulgar humor didn't scare her off.

But, _of course_, it doesn't, since she's probably used to that and more from Riku and Sora and all the other boys she hangs out with. Maybe even Hayner (he thinks, holding back a growl). "So…heading off to see your boy toy?" Axel suggests, his hand behind him starting to grip the table.

Kairi shakes her head. "Nah, he went off to play basketball with his friends. What a bore." She glances at a building a few yards off. "Speaking of bore, I need to get to my next class to make up that dumbass test." Damn she can make cussing hot. "Oh, and Sora said he was pissed that you didn't show up for Bio. Skipping, maybe?"

"Me? Of course not, – how dare you," the pyro argues. The girl's laugh shows that he failed to convince her.

"Well, I'll see ya around," Kairi goes to turn away.

"Wait."

"Hmm…?"

"That cloud right there," Axel points to the warrior cloud. "What do you think it looks like?"

Kairi squints at the sky. "I dunno…a heart? Or maybe a bunny's head? Yeah, because that would be its ears." She waves goodbye.

……………………………

Hayner pulls her into his arms, running kisses up and down her neck. She giggles, pushing him back lightly. "No, not here!"

"Come on, I've been missing you all day," he gives her a smile that could clear away the harshest storms. The blonde moves to kiss her again, but she pulls back. "No, no! Later, I promise."

She wraps her pinky around his, eyeing him seductively. He grins. "Alright, you better call me." He turns away and walking down the hall, the girl moving away in the opposite direction.

Kairi walks around the lockers, looking down the hall at her boyfriend. He's leaning back casually, probably grinning like an idiot. She glances at the dyed blonde girl, her miniskirt dangerously close to showing her thong. And suddenly anger slips into her blood, boiling underneath her skin, begging to pull out her hair, to strangle that whore, and then dump her unconscious body on her boyfriend's porch and wait until that bastard comes out and see it and then she'll –

Something pushes heavily on her back. She spins around, looking down at the boy. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" He stammers, hurriedly grabbing at the contents that fell out of his bag.

Kairi drops to her knees, helping to pick the items. "It's okay, don't worry about it." She smiles, which is surprisingly easy to do. The kid looks up at her quickly, and then glances back down, putting his calculator into a small pocket. _Probably a freshman_ Kairi decides, studying his messy dirty-blonde hair and his baggy clothes that look less of a fashion statement and more of a lack of proper fitting clothes.

The boy stands, muttering another apology, and moves to go away. The redhead noticed a small silver gadget on the ground. "Wait!" she calls, picking up the cellphone and handing it to him. "You wouldn't want to lose that."

He smiles a little. "Thanks Kairi."

She nods, deciding to get to class early. It isn't until she reaches other side of the school that she realizes that she had never told him her name.

………………………………

Cliffhanger! Again! Because I love them:D

Yeah, so I'm now piecing together some of the story. If it's a little boring right now, then just wait, it'll get more interesting (hopefully. . )

Review please! My self-confidence needs it!! DX lolz


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